Support the Partnership's Legislative Priorities

Partnership Budget Priorities Letter to Governor Hogan

August 15, 2017

Governor Larry Hogan

100 State Circle,

Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Governor Hogan,

The Maryland Partnership to End
Childhood Hunger is a diverse coalition working to create a state where an
adequate amount of healthy food is both geographically and economically
accessible for all children.

We applaud your work in
implementing the Children’s Cabinet’s Strategic Plan, which includes the goal ofreducing childhood hunger as one of four priorities. The School
Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs, and the Food Supplement Program
(FSP/SNAP), are among our best strategies to reduce childhood hunger. As you
develop the FY 2019 operating budget, we encourage you to include support for
the following critical and effective programs that support low income students
and families, at the same time strengthening our local farmers and retail food
distributors. We believe that ending childhood hunger is an attainable goal in
Maryland, and is one that will have far-reaching benefits for all Marylanders.

Thank you for your partnership,
support, and tireless efforts on behalf of the most vulnerable Marylanders. We
sincerely look forward to working with your administration in implementing
meaningful programs that tackle the crisis of food insecurity and childhood
hunger.

Sincerely,

The Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland

$500,000 to Support Local Farmers and Low-Income Marylanders

Farmers markets increase access to healthy, local food and benefit farmers, residents, and local
economies. We ask that you support the statewide program that offers
financial incentives for redeeming federal nutrition assistance benefits
(including WIC and SNAP/FSP) at Maryland farmers markets to increase access to healthy
food.

The successful program, Maryland
Market Money, improves nutrition, keeps federal benefit dollars in the local
economy, and supports local agricultural producers.[i]
To date, Maryland Market Money has only been funded by the private sector and
funding levels are insufficient to meet the demand for the program. The
Maryland Market Money Fund was established in 2017 with bipartisan support;
now, we need your support to provide the public resources to fund the program.

$3.3 Million to Eliminate School Meal Fees for Low-Income Families (The
Maryland Cares for Kids Act)

Increasing access to school meals is critical to ending
child food insecurity.[ii]
Unfortunately, the cost of school meals is a significant barrier for many
families and students.[iii]
A single parent with one child cannot earn more than $20,826 a year to qualify
for free school meals and cannot earn more than $29,637 to qualify for
reduced-price meals.[iv]
However, 29% of families who fall in the “reduced-price” category (incomes
between 130-185% Federal Poverty Line) are food insecure.[v]

With $3.3 million in state
funding, Maryland can eliminate the “reduced-price” school meal fees for more
than 45,000 children with family incomes between 130% and 185% of the Federal
Poverty Line.[vi]
In addition to supporting families struggling to get by on low wages, this
investment will support school systems all over the state. [vii]
In the 2017 session, The Maryland Cares for Kids Act received strong bipartisan
support for this initiative.

$4.9 Million Additional to Fully Fund the Maryland Meals For
Achievement Program

Maryland Meals for Achievement
(MMFA) is a successful state program that allows high-poverty schools to
provide universal free breakfast in the
classroom. In Maryland’s public schools, just 27% of students participate
in school breakfast.11 However, in MMFA schools, about 66% of
students participate in school breakfast.[viii]

Studies have also shown that
students at MMFA schools demonstrate enhanced educational performance, improved
health, and a reduction in behavioral issues.[ix] In addition, every dollar of state MMFA
funding leverages $5.46 in federal reimbursements.

With $6.9 million in funding,
MMFA currently benefits over 230,000 students in 462 schools.[x]
However, the current funding only allows for 54% of eligible schools to
participate in MMFA. An additional $4.9 million in the Maryland State
Department of Education’s Aid to Education Budget for the Maryland Meals for
Achievement program will allow 100% of high-poverty schools to participate in
the program.

[3] Arteaga, I.
& Heflin, C. (2014). Participation in the National School Lunch Program and
food insecurity: An analysis of transitions into kindergarten. Children and
Youth Services Review, 47, 224-230.